FC Helsingør followed up on the fine win over Silkeborg in the previous round with a secure and well-played away win over Hvidovre in the Copenhagen suburb. FCH stood strong in defense, and despite 20 good minutes from Hvidovre toward the end of the match, nothing could be done to alter the deserved three points for FCH.
Already in the second minute FCH were close. Anders Holst played a flat cross across the six-yard box, but centrally in front of goal neither Sebastian Czajkowski nor Jeppe Kjær could reach the ball, which went all the way through the box.
The minute after, Hvidovre got their first big chance. HIF's no. 11, Lindberg, got the ball on the left side of the FCH box. Despite good marking in the box, Lindberg still managed to dribble diagonally backward and get a shot away from close range. But Kevin Stuhr was ready and blocked the shot at shoulder height with a good save. Philip Rejnhold cleared the air afterwards.
But it was the visitors from FC Helsingør who took the lead. After 10 minutes of play, Anders Holst had once again pushed up from right back with the ball. He played another flat cross centrally, where Sebastian Czajkowski was lurking on the edge of the box. Czajkowski met the ball in front of goal, carried it a few meters forward and shot. A Hvidovre defender got a foot to the effort, but only managed to deflect the shot so the ball arced over Marco Brylov in the Hvidovre goal, who was completely beaten. Second goal in two matches for the new attacker.
0-1 FC Helsingør
And after a quarter of an hour it got even better for FC Helsingør
After a Hvidovre corner, the ball was headed out of the box by Nikolaj Hansen and fell to Carl Lange. Lange took one touch out of the box and played a fantastic diagonal pass all the way up to the halfway line, where Jeppe Kjær got it right at his feet out on the left side. Kjær drove toward goal, and on the other side Elijah Just surged forward. The two FCH players were alone with two Hvidovre defenders, and Kjær played a perfect through ball between the two to Eli, who safely put the ball in past Marco Brylov from straight in front of goal. Counterattacking of the highest, highest class.
0-2 FC Helsingør
After 23 minutes it was close to Eli scoring again. On the edge of Hvidovre's box Eli Just got the ball. He laid it off to Jeppe Kjær, who returned it to Eli with a backheel. Eli shot, but Marco Brylov got down all the way by the post and tipped the shot around the post.
Four minutes later Daniel Norouzi played a brilliant ball up the middle to Jeppe Kjær, who got past his man and ran toward goal. When he reached the edge of the box, Kjær tried to lift the ball on to Czajkowski, but a Hvidovre player just managed to get his head to it. A fine chance, set up by a sharp pass from Norouzi, who was back in central midfield after becoming a father last week.
After 38 minutes Carl Lange got the ball centrally outside his own box. He took a good first touch and drove up the pitch with the ball at his feet. The Hvidovre defense backed off Lange, and he made it all the way to the edge of the box, where he tried to shoot on goal. But Lange did not quite catch the ball cleanly, and it sailed past the far post.
Toward the end of the half, FCH pressed up around Hvidovre's box. Carl Lange, who was very prominent in the first half, played a couple of fine crosses into the Hvidovre box, but the home team weathered the storm, and FC Helsingør could go into halftime with a very deserved 2-0 lead against a Hvidovre side that had found it very difficult to impose itself on the game, despite home advantage.
After two minutes of the second half, however, Hvidovre did get a dangerous shot away. Lindberg came forward down the left side and fired hard from quite a distance out. He hit the ball really well and forced Kevin Stuhr into a good save.
From the resulting corner, FC Helsingør cleared the ball out of the box, and it ended up with Eli Just, who set off toward goal. He had Kjær on one side and Lange on the other, but by the time they reached the box, Eli had seen that Brylov was standing a little out of position, and the New Zealander tried a shot toward the left side of the goal. Unfortunately Eli hit it a little awkwardly, and it went wide.
After 52 minutes Lindberg was close again. Hvidovre played a little more directly in their counters from the start of the second half, and it was close to paying off when Lindberg received a clever backheel pass laid behind him on the edge of the FCH box. Lindberg fired hard toward the near corner, and Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard had to stretch right up under the crossbar to save it. Fine move by Hvidovre, but again a good save from Ellegaard.
Ten minutes later Daniel Norouzi got a shot away. After a good move, FCH again worked the ball across the six-yard box. It was centimeters from Czajkowski getting a shot away, but the ball went all the way through the box. There it was sent back to the edge of the box, where Norouzi was ready. The midfielder struck it, but the ball sailed over the goal. It looked like a deflection, but there was no corner to be had from the referee.
When we reached the 65th minute Carl Lange was close. A well-playing Frederik Juul Christensen combined quickly with the speedy winger, which ended with Lange being able to cut across the box and in true "Jeppe Kjær style" finish toward the far post with a superb strike that forced Marco Brylov into a fantastic flying save right by the post. It deserved better.
Hvidovre pressed more in this phase and often managed to disrupt FC Helsingør's build-up and passing game. That created several half-dangerous situations in and around the FCH box, but even so it was FC Helsingør who got the next big chance. After 72 minutes substitute Oliver Kjærgaard somewhat luckily got the ball a bit outside Hvidovre's box, but there was nothing lucky about Kjærgaard's good first touch. Kjærgaard carried the ball centrally up the pitch and actually got free in the box. There he tried to beat the goalkeeper, but hesitated a little too long, and then Hvidovre's defense could kick Kjærgaard's effort away off the line.
Lucas Haren was brought on in place of Eli Just, and after 81 minutes he was close to extending the lead. Haren received the ball centrally and used his well-known speed to get past two opponents. Haren got into the box and shot from a position on the right side, but Haren's neatly placed effort just narrowly sailed past the far post.
The end of the match was marked by a lot of possession for Hvidovre, and many somewhat random balls from both teams as fatigue set in. FC Helsingør, however, defended admirably, and Hvidovre could not get through the wall of defense. Instead, on the brink of added time, Haren was very close to sealing the game. After a Hvidovre ball into FC Helsingør's box, it was cleared and the ball ended up with substitute Andreas Smed on the left side. He played a nice through ball over 30 meters to Lucas Haren, who had a clear run at goal. But Hvidovre goalkeeper Brylov had sniffed out the danger and came out to tackle the ball just before Lucas Haren could lift it into the goal, despite Haren being far outside Hvidovre's box.
Near the end of the match FCH got hold of the ball and ran down the clock. But even so FCH extended the lead just before the final whistle. Andreas Smed got the ball at his feet on the right side. Hvidovre's players were caught high up the pitch and, two against two, Smed could play the ball across to Oliver Kjærgaard, who this time scored confidently from the middle of the box. It was essentially the last action of the match, and FCH could take three more points in the season's second game and take comfort in the fact that it was a thoroughly well-played and deserved victory.
0-3 FC Helsingør
On Friday the team will be in action again, at home in Helsingør, where Vendsyssel FF will visit. Kickoff is at 19.00.
FCH: K. Ellegaard, P. Rejnhold (67’ F. Bay), N. Hansen, J. Henriksen, A. Holst, C. Lange (82’ M. “Mac Christensen), D. Norouzi, F. Juul Christensen, E. Just (75’ L. Haren), S. Czajkowski (82’ A. Smed), J. Kjær (67’ O. Kjærgaard)
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
